Data from Indonesia’s largest mobile advertising network, InMobi, confirms the above notion that BlackBerry is beating iPhone in Indonesia, a country home to over 237 million people. From January 2009 to June 2009, mobile ad requests on Blackberry phones increased by 842%, compared to mobile ad requests on Indonesia iPhones, which increased only by 205%. See the above graph for a better picture of how the two devices differ in usage.

For RIM to further succeed in Indonesia and the rest of the developing world, they are going to have to launch more low-end devices. While the 8520 did an excellent job of satisfying some of the demand for a cheaper smartphone, there is still plenty of opportunity for an even cheaper device. A BlackBerry with the most basic of functionality would still provide a smartphone experience the developing world would cherish.